Infomanya-English

On the morning of 1981, Pakistan witnessed a tense and unforgettable event when PIA Flight PK-326 was hijacked by the Al-Zulfiqar group. What began as an ordinary flight from Sukkur quickly escalated into a national crisis, capturing the attention of the entire country. The hijacking involved high-stakes negotiations, demands from the perpetrators, and a prolonged hostage situation, leaving a lasting impact on Pakistan’s aviation security and political landscape.

The Hijacking Begins in Sukkur

It should have been an ordinary day, but fate had something else planned for the passengers of PK-326. As soon as the aircraft landed in Sukkur, the airport’s most dangerous weakness came to light. The security scanners were not working that day. There was no proper baggage check, no passenger screening, and this single failure opened the door to a terrifying chain of events.

A few young men quickly boarded the aircraft without being stopped. As soon as the plane took off again, one hijacker suddenly stood up and within seconds pointed a gun at the entire cabin. When the captain looked out from the cockpit, he understood, this flight was no longer heading toward a destination, but toward captivity and terror. The negligence that began with broken scanners at Sukkur Airport turned into a national security question within moments.

Who Were the Hijackers?

The three young men who hijacked PK-326 were not ordinary passengers. They were militants of Al-Zulfiqar, an organization that had sworn to take up arms against the state. Leading them was Salamullah Tipu — thin, sharp-eyed, with a mixed beard. By his side were his two companions: Fayyaz Ahmed and Arshad Khan. Fayyaz carried the bag in which the weapons had been hidden, while Arshad Khan was the one who, the moment he entered the aircraft, spread such silent terror among the passengers that even the sound of breathing could be heard.

The Plane Taken to Kabul

The hijackers’ original plan was to go straight

to Damascus, where they believed the international political climate would support them. But once the aircraft was airborne, the captain calmly told Salamullah Tipu, “There isn’t enough fuel to reach Damascus”.

This was the first major setback for the hijackers. In the confusion, Tipu ordered the captain to head toward Kabul instead. Afghanistan at the time was under Soviet influence and was seen as a natural refuge for Al-Zulfiqar. As soon as the plane landed in Kabul, global attention turned toward Pakistan. The dream of Damascus was stopped by fuel limits, but Kabul set the incident on a path that triggered 13 days of diplomatic chaos between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria.

Al-Zulfiqar’s Demands

Through the hijackers of the PIA plane, Al-Zulfiqar presented demands to the Government of Pakistan that were not only political but also included the names of several Afghan prisoners. These individuals had been arrested during the Zia-ul-Haq era under accusations of being “Afghan agents” and some had even been sentenced to death.

The group’s main demand was the release of political workers and Afghan detainees who had been arrested in what they called a “show trial”. They specifically named individuals such as Naeem Barlas, Rashid Hassan Khan, and several Afghan youths from Kabul who were accused of having links with Al-Zulfiqar for political resistance activities inside Pakistan.

The Terrifying 13 Days

The passengers of PK-326 remained trapped in fear and helplessness for a full 13 days. The most heartbreaking moment came when the hijackers killed Major Tariq Rahim after he attempted to resist. His death sent a clear message to everyone on board that the hijackers were willing to go to any extent. This single act spread such silent terror in the cabin that the rest of the journey became an endless nightmare for every passenger.

The Release of Prisoners and the Agreement

As a result of the hijacking of PIA flight PK-326, an agreement was reached between Al-Zulfiqar

and the Zia-ul-Haq government under which three Pakistani political prisoners were released. These included Rashid Hassan Khan, Naeem Barlas (a close associate of journalist Najam Sethi), and Bashir Zaidi — individuals arrested in 1980 on charges of “anti-government rebellion” and links to political resistance groups in Sindh.

The hijackers had originally provided a list of 11 to 15 prisoners at the international level, including some Afghan detainees, but Pakistan agreed to release only three. The agreement was finalized at Damascus Airport with mediation by Syria and Algeria.

The lives of the released prisoners were deeply affected by this event. Immediately after their release, they were transferred to Damascus and later to Kabul for political asylum, where they lived in exile for some time. For many years they could not return to Pakistan, as the Zia government labeled them “serious political offenders”. Rashid Hassan Khan remained politically active in Afghanistan, Naeem Barlas worked in journalism and writing and later passed away in exile, and Bashir Zaidi also spent most of his life abroad. Thus, their release marked not freedom, but the beginning of a life filled with exile, mistrust, and constant surveillance.

Impact on Pakistan

The hijacking of PK-326 ended after 13 days through negotiations, releases, and Syrian intervention, but its impact on Pakistan lasted for decades. The Zia government called it one of the biggest national security failures and reviewed airport security across the country.

The involvement of Afghanistan and Syria turned the incident into a matter of international politics, while relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan became more strained. Within the country, the hijacking drew a sharp line between political revenge, state power, and armed resistance. A line that shaped the direction of politics for years to come. The plane eventually landed, the passengers returned home, but one question remains alive even today: was this just a hijacking — or the scream of a nation’s political wounds echoing into the sky?